New Seminis® Bottle Rocket Watermelon Variety Available Now

ST. LOUIS (February 21, 2017) – The Seminis® Bottle Rocket Watermelon variety is now available for U.S. growers to purchase; previously trialed under precommercial designation SV7112WA. This new product is a 36-count watermelon featuring a dark mottled stripe rind pattern with vigorous plant and good vine coverage. Bottle Rocket has an average degrees Brix* of 12.3 and is the latest variety offering in the Seminis® SummerSlice™ watermelon portfolio.

“We have been very happy with performance of the Bottle Rocket watermelon in precommercial trials and we know growers are anxious to plant this new variety,” said Bucky Dobrow, Seminis Technology Development Representative. “Bottle Rocket has shown excellent plant vigor with deep red flesh and great rind and flesh definition, as well as intermediate resistance to Fusarium wilt which can help maximize grower yield potential.”

Precommercial trial results have shown a competitive advantage for Bottle Rocket when compared to other products currently in the marketplace. Also boasting superior fruit quality, Bottle Rocket has shown small pips and a low frequency of hard seed coats.

“As Seminis continues to gain momentum in the watermelon market, new varieties like Bottle Rocket and the entire SummerSlice product portfolio remain top performers for our customers,” said Adam Marschel, Seminis Marketing Manager. “Our dedicated Seminis team including field technology development representatives, breeders, and sales representatives all have one singular goal – to help our customers succeed generation after generation.”

Featured SummerSlice watermelon varieties:
• Joy Ride is a highly adaptable vigorous plant type suitable for all U.S. regions. This hybrid produces a large percentage of 36-count watermelons, with firm fruit and thick rinds.
• Road Trip is a 45-count watermelon hybrid with exceptional internal and external quality. With a vigorous vine and uniform shape, it is an adaptable variety with high yield potential.
• Summer Breeze is a 45–60 count variety with high yield potential. It is suited for shipping, making it an extremely attractive and delicious product.
• Bottle Rocket is a 36-count watermelon hybrid. It has an attractive dark mottled stripe rind pattern. Provides a vigorous plant with good vine coverage.
• Wingman is an extended flowering pollinizer that improves the likelihood of necessary pollen during flowering of triploid watermelons. It provides little competition to other watermelons and is easily distinguishable during harvest.

Bottle Rocket watermelon variety is available for purchase. For more information on Bottle Rocket or to learn more about the complete portfolio of Seminis SummerSlice watermelon products, please visit www.seminis-us.com.

Media Contact:
Erica Guthrie
eguthrie@hlkagency.com
(913) 706-7273

About Seminis Vegetable Seeds
Seminis is committed to providing innovative solutions for every generation to help sustain our growing world. For over 150 years, the Seminis legacy has focused on producing the best vegetable seed varieties for growers to use in farming operations around the world. We are proud to support our grower partners by continuously developing new seed varieties through our global research and development team and specialty breeders, and by providing ongoing agronomic solutions to unique farming challenges. Together with our growers, we are passionate about bringing high-quality, nutritious produce to ensure a balanced plate for our global community. Monsanto Vegetable Seeds Division is represented by the Seminis® and DeRuiter™ seed brands. Seminis Vegetable Seeds is a division of the Monsanto’s Vegetable Seeds. For more information about Seminis®, visit www.seminis-us.com.